Speaking on Sky News Ridge on Sunday, the business secretary said that despite concerns about excessive alcohol consumption on the parliamentary estate, the bars should not be closed. “No, not everyone should close, I do not think we should have an overly puritanical regime in this regard,” he said. Mr Kwarteng also acknowledged that the plan to tackle allegations of sexual harassment in parliament, which was set up in 2018, “does not work well enough”, but “takes time to really get started”. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:51 Neil Parish says he was looking at a tractor when a “similarly named” pornographic page appeared on his phone. The MP watched pornography twice in parliament It comes after a lawmaker said he would resign after admitting to watching pornography in the House of Commons. Neil Parish said he had watched adult material twice in parliament, arguing that the first time was accidental after looking at a tractor on the internet, but that the second was “a moment of madness”. “It was a tractor I saw”: Tories MP says he saw porn by mistake – Politics last The 65-year-old farmer had initially vowed to continue as an MP for Tiverton and Honiton, but said he would resign after acknowledging the “fury” and “damage” he was causing to his family and constituency. The former MEP had been referred to Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, days after two female Tory MPs said they had seen him watching pornography on his mobile phone on two separate occasions. A Conservative spokesman for Tiverton and Honiton said: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Neil Parish for his service to our communities over the past 12 years. “We support his decision to resign from our parliament.” Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:52 Rachel Mlin told Sky News that she is not in charge of MPs judging other colleagues. Kwarteng rejects reports of a culture of misogyny in Westminster The scandal comes amid accusations of misogyny and sexual misconduct in Westminster. Asked on Sky News’ Ridge on Sunday program if there was a culture of bigotry in Westminster, Mr Kwarteng rejected the proposal. He said: “I think the problem we have is that people work in a really intense environment, there are many hours and I think in general most people know their limits, they know how to act with respect. “But there are some cases where people do not act honestly to the highest standards. “With Neil (Parish), I think he did the right thing. He did something that most other professions will fire because you did and he resigned voluntarily and I think his position was very difficult.” Image: Sir Keir Starmer called for a culture change in Westminster Starmer urges “political leadership” on the issue However, Sir Keir Starmer called for a change in behavior and culture to address swearing and sexual misconduct in Westminster. Also speaking on the Sky News Ridge program on Sunday, the Labor leader said: “We need to listen to women and I have spoken to many women in recent days and it is very clear that while there is a need to change culture, those involved “This kind of activity, whether it’s comments about Angela Rayner or pornography in the House of Commons, has to take responsibility.” He also called for “political leadership”, arguing that when a Conservative colleague gets into trouble, “the first instinct of ministers is to push him into the long grass, to hide what is happening and this is a political problem because the fish is rotting from the head.” “. When asked why he chose to view the material in the Commons, Mr Paris told the BBC: “I do not know, I think I must have completely abandoned my senses and my sensibilities and my sense of decency, everything. “ Mr Parish said he was “not defending what I was doing for a moment”, adding that he believed the best thing he could do was “tell the truth”. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:04 The Prime Minister said that there is no room for misogyny in society The speaker of the Communities calls for “radical action” House Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle called for a “radical” reform of labor practices in parliament following a series of allegations of intimidation and sexual misconduct against MEPs. In his call for change, Sir Lindsay suggested that individual MPs should no longer be the employers of their staff, adding that “some serious complaints have been made”. Read more: Commons Speaker urges radical reform of work practices He also said he was considering moving to an outside agency that hires assistants, as parliament’s reputation is feared to have fallen to a new low. “In my opinion, it is time to look at radical action and review the structures and processes that could make a difference,” Sir Lindsay told The Observer. The Sunday Times, meanwhile, has suggested that former business secretary Andrea Leadsom may be working with the speaker. The newspaper quoted him as saying: “Things have not changed and this is due to the fact that there are not enough cases and it takes a long time to complete the investigations. “Only when you see people ending up because they are blind drunk and subject to appropriate sanctions will people start to think twice about their behavior.” Follow the Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker A total of 56 lawmakers are reportedly facing allegations of sexual misconduct Elsewhere, Conservative leader Oliver Dowden reportedly told The Sunday Telegraph that half of the party MPs who returned in the next election will be women, as he aims to make changes to address Westminster’s swearing. In recent weeks, a number of convictions have plagued the Commons, with 56 lawmakers reportedly facing allegations of sexual misconduct. At least three cabinet ministers are believed to be among the MPs referred to the Independent Complaints and Appeals Draft. Earlier this week, Labor MP Liam Byrne was found to have “expelled” a former aide after an office dispute and is now due to be expelled from the Commons for two days.
